1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image generating apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to an image generating apparatus comprising a take-up member for taking up an ink sheet, including a spring mount portion, and a spring member for regulating the take-up member to rotate only in a prescribed direction, mounted on the spring mount portion of the take-up member.
2. Description of the Background Art
An image generating apparatus comprising a take-up member for taking up an ink sheet, including a spring mount portion, and a spring member for regulating the take-up member to rotate only in a prescribed direction, mounted on the spring mount portion of the take-up member is known in general, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-199520, for example.
In a take-up member described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-199520, a spring member for regulating the take-up member to rotate only in a prescribed direction is wound around an outer circumference of the take-up member rotatably mounted on a rotary shaft. A first end of the spring member is mounted on a frame of the image generating apparatus. The take-up member is fixed in a shaft direction of the rotary shaft by a plurality of retaining rings, to inhibit the take-up member from falling from the rotary shaft. In this Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-199520, in a case where the take-up member tries to rotate in an opposite direction to the prescribed direction, a spring diameter of the spring member is reduced due to frictional force between the take-up member and the spring member, whereby the take-up member is fastened by the spring member. Thus, the take-up member is inhibited from rotating in the opposite direction to the prescribed direction.
Various structures comprising a spring member regulating a prescribed member to rotate only in a prescribed direction are know in general, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-187322, for example.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-187322 discloses a print head unit comprising a sleeve integrally rotating with a print head, a spring member wound around the sleeve and regulating the print head to rotate only in a prescribed direction, and a case for storing the sleeve and the spring member. In this print head unit according to Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-187322, a first end of the spring member is fitted in a groove of the case of the print head unit. In a case where the print head and the sleeve integrally rotating with the print head rotate in an opposite direction to the prescribed direction, a spring diameter of the spring member is reduced due to frictional force between the sleeve and the spring member, thereby fastening the sleeve. Thus, in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-187322, the sleeve and the print head integrally rotating with the sleeve are inhibited from rotating in the opposite direction to the prescribed direction.
However, the aforementioned take-up member described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-199520 is provided with a retaining ring for inhibiting the take-up member from falling from the rotary shaft, and therefore a stop member (retaining ring) is disadvantageously separately required.
The aforementioned print head unit described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-187322 is not fixed to the rotary shaft, and therefore the print head unit disadvantageously falls from the image generating apparatus. Thus, in a case where the aforementioned structure of the print head unit in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-187322 is employed for regulating the rotation of the take-up member for taking up an ink sheet, the take-up member disadvantageously falls.